Competitive Deck Discussion

[Mythdracon]

NOTICE: The following thread is a composite of several lines of discussion which have been split from several threads and then merged. Care has been taken to keep the thread readable through the addition of quotes, however, please bear with us as we attempt to clean up the boards.

Thanks!

~NB

P.S. This post split from Last Alliance Thread

Yes, but what about alternatives? Theme decks rock, and I'll be making this one, but... I have to beat my friend in LOTR.

[Gil-Estel]

Yes, but what about alternatives? Theme decks rock, and I'll be making this one, but... I have to beat my friend in LOTR.

I have played several good decks, and have beaten them....
You can only win if you know what loosing is. So this deck will teach you well. Ofcourse, you can loose with it, but my experience is that it can win as well....HARD

[SomeRandomDude]

I have played several good decks, and have beaten them....
You can only win if you know what loosing is. So this deck will teach you well. Ofcourse, you can loose with it, but my experience is that it can win as well....HARD

Mythdracon, you know how I learned to make killer decks? I lost to killer decks. I used to be the worst player in my group, like, people woukd be shocked if I won. Then I joined CC and some other stuff, began playing Bib and Smally and lost badly. But then I built my first Ithilien Blade/Sauron discard deck. It sucked, but not as bad as my Moria Strength Deck. Took my Moria side, paired it to IB and dropped the, erm, Goblin Patrol Troops...and went all out swarm, then I built a Dwarf discard side to go with Sauron discard and that's when I started winning.

Moral: Practice make perfect. Try testing out some stuff on SdA.

BTW, kee your eyes peeled, I've got something I'm posting soon, today or tomorrow.

[Mythdracon]

Mythdracon, you know how I learned to make killer decks? I lost to killer decks. I used to be the worst player in my group, like, people woukd be shocked if I won. Then I joined CC and some other stuff, began playing Bib and Smally and lost badly. But then I built my first Ithilien Blade/Sauron discard deck. It sucked, but not as bad as my Moria Strength Deck. Took my Moria side, paired it to IB and dropped the, erm, Goblin Patrol Troops...and went all out swarm, then I built a Dwarf discard side to go with Sauron discard and that's when I started winning.

Moral: Practice make perfect. Try testing out some stuff on SdA.

BTW, kee your eyes peeled, I've got something I'm posting soon, today or tomorrow.

I dunno...for me the problem has always been picking the right cards that have chemistry together, and also having the right number of them in a deck. So most of the time I rely on other people's advice and expertise to make decks. In actual gameplay I do well, it's just the making of the decks which isn't my favorite part. SO MANY CARDS TO CHOOSE FROM. :S

Also, as for SDA--my time difference with people in other parts of the world is probably pretty scary at this point.

[SomeRandomDude]

This post split from Deceived Wizards thread.
~NB

*Guffaw*

You're trying to beat ELVES with Deceived Wizards? Gosh, if you wanna beat elves, do something like...anything EXCEPT DW. Man, elves are DWs WORST matchup.

Lackey and Archery pwn elves. Just a tip.

[SomeRandomDude]

I dunno...for me the problem has always been picking the right cards that have chemistry together, and also having the right number of them in a deck. So most of the time I rely on other people's advice and expertise to make decks. In actual gameplay I do well, it's just the making of the decks which isn't my favorite part. SO MANY CARDS TO CHOOSE FROM. :S

Also, as for SDA--my time difference with people in other parts of the world is probably pretty scary at this point.

Well...since I never sleep anymore...

[Mythdracon]

Well...since I never sleep anymore...

Hm. But that'd mean I have to make the decks again, online. Oh noes. I mean, I guess I could, it's just...I'm so busy playing WoW, tutoring kids in English, meeting friends and family and reading the 70 new books I have....I could *make* time, but as I can do that in college....It's just my computer here has so much better graphics than mine in the U.S. In 3 months though, I'll happily SDA with you in the wee hrs of the morn.

[Gil-Estel]

Hm. But that'd mean I have to make the decks again, online. Oh noes. I mean, I guess I could, it's just...I'm so busy playing WoW, tutoring kids in English, meeting friends and family and reading the 70 new books I have....I could *make* time, but as I can do that in college....It's just my computer here has so much better graphics than mine in the U.S. In 3 months though, I'll happily SDA with you in the wee hrs of the morn.

But you're working on decks, you have certain decks, maybe copy/paste decks from others...get to know certain decks and learn from them. You need to focus. My friend builds nice decks, but ever since I start to concentrate on building decks, I win. He misses focus, so he had a lot of everything, which is in general not enough. If you want to wound, do it to the max, if you want to corrupt, do it as best as you can (which means Lost to the Goblins  )...at everything you do, give it your best shot. I would love to have the Balrog in every available deck, same with the Witch-king, same with Sauron...but that doesn't work.
Try to play some, seriously!

[Mythdracon]

*Guffaw*

You're trying to beat ELVES with Deceived Wizards? Gosh, if you wanna beat elves, do something like...anything EXCEPT DW. Man, elves are DWs WORST matchup.

Lackey and Archery pwn elves. Just a tip. 

But archery won't pwn them if they use Elven Armaments.

What's Lackey?

[And yeah, DW is bad against Elves....unless they don't have condition removal, and I guess Saruman would get shot to death, hm.]

[SomeRandomDude]

But archery won't pwn them if they use Elven Armaments.

What's Lackey?

[And yeah, DW is bad against Elves....unless they don't have condition removal, and I guess Saruman would get shot to death, hm.]

Yes. Exactly.

Lackey? As in Orkish Lackey + 4x Goblin Hordes + 4x Mumak Commander, GatS + Black Land Chieftain + Mouth of Sauron setting up a Countless Companies/Pavise racket for an easy 2 dead companions each manu phase + elves.

Check it.

35 cards

Orkish Lackey x 4
Mumak Commander, Giant Among the Swertings x 4
Watchful Orc x 3
Black Land Chieftain x 2
Mouth of Sauron, Messenger of Mordor x 3
Sunland Scout x 4
Gothmog, Morgul Leader x 2
Goblin Hordes x 4
Unforgiving Depths x 3
Countless Companies x 4
Pavise x 2

When Mouth comes out, nab your Countless Companies and a Pavise.

Now each turn, Mumak Commander gets a Pavise for double the wounding.

Drop Lackey and Goblin Hordes and use recursion racket to get 'em back every turn. Exert with Commander + Pavise, wound with Lackey, 1 dead 3 vitality commander, threats trigger from Chieftain, kill another comp and then usually they're chock full enough with wounds to drop 3 comps in one turn, Gothmog tosses out some more unguided arrows, voila. Yeah, what about condition discarding? Time your Countless Companies to kill their Namarie before you get your conditions. They got Namarie? Drop Mouth of Sauron, nab Pavise, trigger Sunland Scount...whoopsie, buh-bye Namarie! Oh look, a Countless Companies, just in time for my Mumak Commander next turn too!

[SomeRandomDude]

I would love to have the Balrog in every available deck, same with the Witch-king, same with Sauron...but that doesn't work.

Unless you run a Grimmy/Forearmed deck.

[Gil-Estel]

Unless you run a Grimmy/Forearmed deck.

forearmed is nice....very nice ...such a shame for a good friend of mine. He had come up with a great Nazgul deck, but I played forearmed, and if I may say so, I did it well......I kicked his lower body parts on the rear side of his body very hard!

[Mythdracon]

forearmed is nice....very nice ...such a shame for a good friend of mine. He had come up with a great Nazgul deck, but I played forearmed, and if I may say so, I did it well......I kicked his lower body parts on the rear side of his body very hard!

I do play games, often, and I do win, just not as often as I'd like. And when I lose, I usually lose terribly. It's true I lack focus, I want to make awesome decks from every culture so I feel like my LOTR collection is complete....since as a 'collector' I want deck ideas collected, and represented, in their best form. Ambitious. But I think it's possible, with some help. I have been trying to get the cards for a particular Nazgul corruption deck one of our older CC members made---Utterly Corrupt Corruption anyone?

And God, Forearmed is a little OP. A must-have in my Elven telepathy deck I suppose, but as of yesterday I didn't see anyone posting to help me with it. Anyone know of counters to Forearmed? I know Dark Alliance can cancel events, and Final Triumph can make vitality the winner....any others? (Aside from cancelling skirmish, something that actually wounds or wins?)

[Mythdracon]

Yes. Exactly.

Lackey? As in Orkish Lackey + 4x Goblin Hordes + 4x Mumak Commander, GatS + Black Land Chieftain + Mouth of Sauron setting up a Countless Companies/Pavise racket for an easy 2 dead companions each manu phase + elves.

Check it.

Nice! If only I had the Mumak Commanders to make it in full. :S

Anyone got a Namarie deck build that has won before?

[SomeRandomDude]

Anyone got a Namarie deck build that has won before?

*falls off chair*

DUDE! Has anyone? HECK YEAH! That's like, perhaps the most powerful deck!

32 cards

Galadriel, Bearer of Wisdom
Ring of Rings

Legolas, of the Woodland Realm
Rumil, Silvan Elf

Orophin, Silvan Elf x 2
Elven Guardian x 4
Aragorn, Thorongil

Elven Bow x 4
Sword of the Fallen x 4
Aragorn's Bow, Ranger's Longbow
Dinendal, Mirkwood Archer

Namarie x 4
Into the West x 2
Take Up the Bow x 3
Elven Marksmanship x 4

OR

34 cards

Frodo, Weary from the Journey
The Ring of Doom

Gimli, Sprinter
Legolas, of the Woodland Realm

Aragorn, Thorongil
Orophin, Silvan Elf x 2
Rumil, Silvan Elf x 2
Elven Guardian x 3

Elven Bow x 4
Gimli's Battle Axe, Trusted Weapon
Aragorn's Bow, Ranger's Longbow x 2
Sting, Elvish Long-Knife x 2

Shake Off the Shadow x 3
Namarie x 3
Focus x 3
Forth The Three Hunters x 2

Hearth and Hall x 4

Probably a more competetive version. Forth the Three Hunters dumping out massive archery with a fighting ability! The engine here is Shake Off the Shadow + Hearth and Hall =  tons of archery. 2 max per copy = 6 possible + possible 8 archery once set up = 14 + Aragorn's Bow/Sting Combo = 23 wounds per phase max...ouch.

[Gil-Estel]

I do play games, often, and I do win, just not as often as I'd like. And when I lose, I usually lose terribly. It's true I lack focus, I want to make awesome decks from every culture so I feel like my LOTR collection is complete....since as a 'collector' I want deck ideas collected, and represented, in their best form. Ambitious. But I think it's possible, with some help. I have been trying to get the cards for a particular Nazgul corruption deck one of our older CC members made---Utterly Corrupt Corruption anyone?

And God, Forearmed is a little OP. A must-have in my Elven telepathy deck I suppose, but as of yesterday I didn't see anyone posting to help me with it. Anyone know of counters to Forearmed? I know Dark Alliance can cancel events, and Final Triumph can make vitality the winner....any others? (Aside from cancelling skirmish, something that actually wounds or wins?)

easterling corruption.... Everything that does nasty things before or during skirmish is good vs Forearmed.

[SomeRandomDude]

easterling corruption.... Everything that does nasty things before or during skirmish is good vs Forearmed.

Forget the skirmish. If you're fighting in the skirmish phase, you better be swarming or playing Forestguls (read: swarming ).

[SomeRandomDude]

This post split from the Assignment Mess-Up thread ~NB

*cough*Solo-Smeagol*cough*

[Mythdracon]

*cough*Solo-Smeagol*cough*

Solo-Smeagol always dies if you don't have the right cards in your hand though. He can't even take wounds if all those strength pump conditions are gone off of him, though Fishing Boat is a little help I guess.

[Mythdracon]

Forget the skirmish. If you're fighting in the skirmish phase, you better be swarming or playing Forestguls (read: swarming  ).

Hm. Generally I find Uruks to be the strongest Shadow though. Forest Nazzies usually get beaten up by annoying Gondorians or archered by Elves. :S

I've always wanted to make an Easterling deck, but I've always been missing some rares. Anyone for a TTT or ROTK decklist, Easterling Corruption? I imagine Vision from Afar is in it, but as for the combination of minions and conditions and possessions I always trip up a bit. :S

[Mythdracon]

*falls off chair*

DUDE! Has anyone? HECK YEAH! That's like, perhaps the most powerful deck!

Hm, cool! But if Legolas dies Namarie is toast. What about a Hunter Elves legion? Likeee Rumil, Silvan Archer and his bro? With Legolas? And Elven Guardians?

[SomeRandomDude]

Hm, cool! But if Legolas dies Namarie is toast. What about a Hunter Elves legion? Likeee Rumil, Silvan Archer and his bro? With Legolas? And Elven Guardians? 

Aren't Rumil, Orophin and Elven Guardian in there? 

BTW, I posted a deck in Standard that you should take a look at. It's called "Yo Mythdracon" and uses newer Pipeweed and Uruk Swarming. Amazingly oddball deck and absolutely a blast to play, but still competitive.

[SomeRandomDude]

Solo-Smeagol always dies if you don't have the right cards in your hand though. He can't even take wounds if all those strength pump conditions are gone off of him, though Fishing Boat is a little help I guess.

That's why you set up a solo-smeagol deck so you do have the right cards in hand. Dammed Gate-Stream, anyone?

[SomeRandomDude]

Hm. Generally I find Uruks to be the strongest Shadow though. Forest Nazzies usually get beaten up by annoying Gondorians or archered by Elves. :S

I've always wanted to make an Easterling deck, but I've always been missing some rares. Anyone for a TTT or ROTK decklist, Easterling Corruption? I imagine Vision from Afar is in it, but as for the combination of minions and conditions and possessions I always trip up a bit. :S

Then you're running them wrong. Forestguls, if run right, = about 4-5 nazzies beating down per turn with LitW. Sure, 's a hard matchup...elves, hm...so-so. But they pwn absolutely everything else.

Uruk's, on the other hand, ONLY beat elves, and OCCAISIONALLY beat . Pretty much everything else pummels them.

[SomeRandomDude]

Please read note on first post of this thread before continuing to post here. We are attempting to consolidate all these lines of discussion into a major thread containing deck ideas, decks, and other miscellaneous info about decks.

Thanks!
~NB

[Mythdracon]

I dunno, when I use Uruks against Rohan, Rohan dies regularly. Archery doesn't work against them with Broad-bladed Sword, those silly possessions mean nothing against events like Final Triumph or Savagery to Match their Numbers. >=D

Will look at your oddball deck. Thanks for naming it after me.

[SomeRandomDude]

's being run wrong. should EASILY be able to match the Uruks stroke for stroke. Especially Fighting Frodo decks where Gamling is base 13 hunter 2, Eomer is base 13 hunter 1, Theoden base 11 h1, Aragorn base 12 h1, Eowyn base 10 h1 and can't take wounds and then you have that card that can pump them by the number of hunters you spot, typically by 6-7 unless your opponent is running Uruk Hunters, then its easy to hit, say, 10, and then Gamling's Horn which can pump him and another comp by 4 each, so I'd say that getting a Uruk up to the 19-20 range is pretty difficult.

Dwarves pwn Uruks hands down. Choke + Durin = dead Uruk-Hai + BRC = dead conditions.

And I just realized, elves, if they pack Take Up the Bow, can easily drop the Invincible Uruks and smash the others with archery or pummel them enough for their Orophin and Elven Guardians with SotF to kick in, so really, elves run right CAN pummel Uruk-Hai as well.

Gondor is still pretty hard-pressed to beat Uruk-Hai, but they have a few tricks they can use.

[Olorin]

Hi,

is anyone except me of the same opinion that Elves - the whole culture - is overpowered (in relation to any other culuture)
Galadriel Ringbearer with Silver Ewer, Gil-Galad High King of the Noldor, Glorfindel, Arwen, Legolas, and other cards... 

Elves are the companions which are the hardest to kill - but overwhelm or discard each minion they want! I hate them!

[SomeRandomDude]

Not really. Most of the most powerful strategies can take them down, Lackey, archery, Corsairs in particular rock at obliterating Elves.

Elf hunters tend to be a bit difficult to beat, but even they can be taken down...Ninja Gollum, anyone?

[Elessar's Socks]

Ninja Gollum has a chance on account of Shelob soaking up wounds and the threats interfering with Rumil/Orophin/Thorongil. When His Loincloth and Her Pincushionfulness join forces, they can do anything! But if all the Shelobs hit the discard pile, oh man, it's over. Gollum won't get a chance to use Incited. Just hope Take Up the Bow doesn't become popular.

I think I'd veinpop the most against IB decks. Dealing with wounding and beatdown are basics, but outright minion discard? In the maneuver phase? Ouch.

[NappyKorn]

Take a little peek at my enquea deck Olorin85. Granted it is expanded but ES said he used it against Elves and they didn't stand a chance. Man I see your avatar and keep thinking you are Mythdracon, LOL. I think he had a very similar avatar on CC.

[Mythdracon]

Yeah, IB is seriously OP. My friend has decks which discard minions in manuever phase, I usually refuse to play against them.

Ninja Gollum doesn't do very well against large fellowships though, does it? It can kill Ents with Sting of Shelob since Ents give so much twilight, but it still won't slow down a 9-companion fellowship, be they ents or anything else. Gollum and Shelob just can't *kill* fast enough, though they dish out lots of wounds.

[SomeRandomDude]

Anduin Banks + City Gates

Esp if you've been running some Neekerbreeker fun.

[Elessar's Socks]

A 9-companion fellowship is a lot to chew, but it shouldn't be a game-breaker. Granted things do get difficult if the explosion happens late game. As NBarden mentioned though the site path can turn the tide back in your favor. Also I use Stinker partly in case I can't reach the Ring-bearer in time; play Slag Mounds, stretch out with YaLaaT, and watch the burdens roll in.

Let's see:

Anduin Banks
Courtyard Parapet
Neekerbreekers' Bog
Slag Mounds
Steward's Tomb

I think that's a good start in letting the site path get in on the action. Also Redhorn Pass to stave off Namarie.

However if you see knights, run and don't look back.

[Olorin]

Hi,

what do you think could be one of the best decks?
I am sure there are several types of decks which can rock, but make just one suggestion what do you think that this deck is really hard to face and survive and kills everything!
Free people's or shadow site may separately used from 1-10 or 7-19

Please let me know what you think, thanks! 

[SomeRandomDude]

Best deck, IMHO, would be rainbow hunters wounding. Its the deck I play and it really does rock. It uses Pippin, WoBaD and Merry, ST (Started) (toss Merry fast with a bounce/discard) with Shadowplay/Unheeded, Hunter 2 Faramir (Started) + Bow, Aragorn, Thorongil (Prancing Pony Nab) + Bow/Frodo + Sting, Elven Long-Knife, Rumil, Legolas, OtWR, Rohirrim Guard, Eowyn, Lady of Ithilien, Gimli, Sprinter + Threat Battleaxe, Dinendal, Namarie, Hardy Garrison, A Light In His Mind (Or possibly Home and Hearth + Dwellings...).

For more fun, toss in some Refuge.

That's the best deck I've built to date. Anything that can't take wounds except in skirmish gets nailed by Shadowplay/Rohirrim Guard/Unheeded combo.

[Mythdracon]

Mind PMing us a decklist?  Rainbow decks are awesome just for theme in the least, but one that works!....

[SomeRandomDude]

Hm...IDK...its kinda my closely guarded secret deck...

Okay...

Here's another fun one.